BERLIN, March 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Polygraph, a Berlin-based company that has developed cutting-edge technologies click fraud detection and prevention strategies, has identified some of the first cases of a sneaky new variant of click-through fraud that rakes in tens of billions of dollars every year and unwittingly embroils teachers in an illicit enterprise with the potential to hold them criminally liable. Polygraph is the first company in the world to publicly announce this research.
Broadly speaking, click fraud constitutes non-consumer clicks on an advertisement, whether using bots, human-powered click farms, or misleading legitimate visitors with misdirection and pop-ups veiled to collect payment from advertisers. Today, overseas cyber gangs, using a mixture of old-fashioned scamming, high-tech data feeds and global commerce, are pocketing up to $200,000 a month – per website – affiliates criminals usually working on dozens of sites simultaneously to amplify fake clicks.
Juniper Research has estimated that financial losses due to online click fraud totaling an incredible $68 billion worldwide – over $186 million lost every day to fake clicks. While there are a number of well-known techniques fraudsters use to scam advertisers, one of the most recent and also most successful has been documented exclusively by Polygraph.
For starters, criminals locate American English teachers living abroad, using sources such as expat websites, job boards, or even something like classified ads for a roommate. Fraudsters offer a typical job offer to native English speakers, which involves representing the “company” to its supposed English-speaking associates, and involves the teacher opening a publisher account with a US-based advertising network. United. With the English teacher serving as a liaison between the advertising network and the criminal organization, the group fills their sites with advertisements and directs traffic to them through various means.
Whether the teacher acknowledges that he is involved in criminal activities is a question. They may receive a fixed salary, but they may also receive a share of the proceeds – up to five figures per month.
“Tracking the machinations of the fraudulent scheme, Polygraph interviewed duped teachers who were collecting $40,000 each month,” said Trey Vanes, chief marketing officer of Polygraph. “This kind of money must certainly raise red flags with them. I can say that we have helped and advised many English teachers to cut their ties with criminals to stay safe. But of course there are hundreds of others who are probably looking elsewhere.
Polygraph is a click fraud detection tool for advertisers looking to stop ad fraud. The company goes beyond simple traffic analysis – like criminal investigators, it monitors dozens of click fraud gangs and works with fraud victims to implement emerging criminal strategies. Polygraph gives advertisers a comprehensive perspective on the ad fraud that affects them. The targeted keywords are identified; different advertising networks compared; robots and robot proxies can be stopped; and false click details provided so that advertisers can obtain reimbursements from ad networks.
For more information, visit https://polygraph.net.
About the polygraph
Based in Berlin, Germany in 2021, Polygraph monitors the activities of click fraud gangs, including how they operate, who they target, the techniques they use and how to detect their fraud. We go way beyond bot detection to make sure your ad dollars aren’t stolen by cybercriminals.
Contact details:
114A Friedrichstrasse Berlin, BE 10117 Germany
Trey Vanes, polygraph
+49 (030) 2204 4851
